sulfur
pronunciation
How to pronounce sulfur in British English:
UK ['sʌlfə(r)]
How to pronounce sulfur in American English:
US ['sʌlfər]
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- Noun:
- an abundant tasteless odorless multivalent nonmetallic element; best known in yellow crystals; occurs in many sulphide and sulphate minerals and even in native form (especially in volcanic regions)
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- Verb:
- treat with sulphur in order to preserve
Word Origin
- sulfur (n.)
- also sulphur, c. 1300, from Anglo-French sulfere, Old French soufre "sulfur, fire and brimstone, hellfire" (13c.), later also sulphur, from Late Latin sulfur, from Latin sulphur, probably from a root meaning "to burn." Ousted native brimstone and cognate Old English swefl, German schwefel, Swedish swafel, Dutch zwavel. The spelling with -ph- is standard in Britain, but its suggestion of a Greek origin is misleading.
Example
- 1. On its shore , the sulfur mining operation .
- 2. 16a Miner begins his return trip with his heavy load of sulfur .
- 3. Sulfur atoms , which can bind poisonous mercury , coat each of the minuscule holes .
- 4. Above , a miner carries sulfur out of the crater on july 22 , 2006 .
- 5. Within 24 hours of the blackout , sulfur dioxide levels dropped by 90 percent , and ozone declined by 50 percent .